I have had problems logging into the blog and so this is the first time I am logging in for ages.
I have recently joined an organisation called the British Trust for Ornithology. Please see the 'Conservation Links' box to see their website. My intention is to get involved in birding surveys so that I can get some relelvant work experience under my belt. I have asked the organisation to put me in touch with the local recorder so that I can assist him on surveys.
I have also decided to get involved in the BTO/CJ Garden BirdWatch scheme. This involves recording wildlife that comes to my garden. It's very simple and easy to do. It helps BTO/CJ understand the behaviour of our garden birds and their distribution. You can either do a paper based or on-line exercise. You need to record on a weekly basis, but you get to decide when and how long for. So it is very convenient. I recorded 12 species of bird this morning in 1 hour. It's amazing what you see when you just sit down and watch. Go on, get involved, have a go!
Anyway, I have to dash now, I am studying in the summer at university and already have reports to do.
Sunday 15 July 2007
Saturday 10 March 2007
Fri 9 Mar 07
One of the subjects I am studying is called Natural Ecosystems which includes a field trip to Shoeburyness East Beach. The purpose of the visit is to produce a list of the different types of fauna and flora living in or on the estuary and to produce a food web showing their interactions.
We left university about 9.30 am and arrived at the site around 10.30am. My lecturer had warned me several times about the importance of surveying the site before 1pm as the tide would return very quickly after that. I had seen mud flats from afar once before, but had never walked across them and must admit I was a bit scared. My lecturer said the flats were quite firm and wellies were the best equipment for them. She was right, especially as there were mini pools along the way where the land was slightly depressed. One of these pools is where I observed my first sand goby Gobius minutus, I only spotted it because it darted for cover. It would have been difficult to see it otherwise as it is very well camouflaged against the sandy/muddy background. Can you imagine, I saw a fish on the mud flats, that was amazing!
I had been given a list of species that I could expect to see. As we walked, I ticked them off. We walked out a reasonable distance in a line which in the ecology world is referred to as a line transect survey. Once we reached a certain point, we turned back, continuing to survey the substrate. Finally, we walked along the shore and sat on some rocks to have lunch about 12.30pm. My survey revealed the following: plants (Wracks/seaweeds), molluscs (bivalves, barnacles, winkles), crustaceans (crabs, Gammarus); fish and birds (oystercatcher, dunlin, black headed gulls).
As we finished off our lunch, the tide was starting to come in really fast. It was amazing to see this event taking place. My lecturer said a lot of people need to be rescued as they don't know how the estuary works. I had got up to take pictures of the oyster catchers Haematopus ostralegus which were travelling ahead of the returning water. They kept moving forward and I was moving towards them as I was too far away to get a good shot. I remember looking at the tide and thinking that it had got even closer so I gave up and it was a good move as a few minutes later the tide was over the area I was standing. So, if you decide to visit an estuary, make sure you read the tide charts to find out when the tide is out and when it will return. Always remember health and safety comes first, do not take risks. Also, dress appropriately as it was very windy on the flats, despite the fact that it was sunny and warmer on the shore.
We left university about 9.30 am and arrived at the site around 10.30am. My lecturer had warned me several times about the importance of surveying the site before 1pm as the tide would return very quickly after that. I had seen mud flats from afar once before, but had never walked across them and must admit I was a bit scared. My lecturer said the flats were quite firm and wellies were the best equipment for them. She was right, especially as there were mini pools along the way where the land was slightly depressed. One of these pools is where I observed my first sand goby Gobius minutus, I only spotted it because it darted for cover. It would have been difficult to see it otherwise as it is very well camouflaged against the sandy/muddy background. Can you imagine, I saw a fish on the mud flats, that was amazing!
I had been given a list of species that I could expect to see. As we walked, I ticked them off. We walked out a reasonable distance in a line which in the ecology world is referred to as a line transect survey. Once we reached a certain point, we turned back, continuing to survey the substrate. Finally, we walked along the shore and sat on some rocks to have lunch about 12.30pm. My survey revealed the following: plants (Wracks/seaweeds), molluscs (bivalves, barnacles, winkles), crustaceans (crabs, Gammarus); fish and birds (oystercatcher, dunlin, black headed gulls).
As we finished off our lunch, the tide was starting to come in really fast. It was amazing to see this event taking place. My lecturer said a lot of people need to be rescued as they don't know how the estuary works. I had got up to take pictures of the oyster catchers Haematopus ostralegus which were travelling ahead of the returning water. They kept moving forward and I was moving towards them as I was too far away to get a good shot. I remember looking at the tide and thinking that it had got even closer so I gave up and it was a good move as a few minutes later the tide was over the area I was standing. So, if you decide to visit an estuary, make sure you read the tide charts to find out when the tide is out and when it will return. Always remember health and safety comes first, do not take risks. Also, dress appropriately as it was very windy on the flats, despite the fact that it was sunny and warmer on the shore.
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